33
I lift my sunglasses, looking away from my phone screen when Vlad approaches the deckchair where I'm sitting with a smile. His slightly long hair escaping from his ponytail.
“We’ve got them in the trunk. What should we do with them?”
“Take them to the second floor. I want you to leave Norman on the second floor of the dungeons.”
“The one with the crocodiles?” he asks, his smile widening. I nod, distracted by the memory of Lena's angelic face in my head.
“And fix that fucking mess,” I say, pointing to his hair in a gesture of disdain before looking at her one last time through my cell phone. She fell asleep on the couch by the window in her bedroom, with some strands of hair falling across her face and the iPad on her lap.
Before going down to the underground rooms I put on some pants, leaving my torso bare. I know how much she likes to wear my clothes and I love the smell she leaves on them, so most of the time I avoid getting them dirty when doing any work.
I can hear the screams of the man who is now bound with his hands bandaged and a blindfold over his empty eye sockets as I descend to the second basement.
A permanent rag mask is stitched to his face, hiding the damage and raw flesh.
You can still see the misplaced pieces of skin under his chin that the idiot tried to fix.
“When you beg for your life, I want you to think about how you rejected my offer to let you live,” I say with a smile.
His new appearance appeals to me well enough to want to make him another of my personal pets. The nameless one I already have seems to be feeling quite lonely and bored lately, but the bastard refused to work for me.
“And be thankful your bullet ended up in her arm and not somewhere worse, otherwise your damn city would be burning right now with your family inside.” I pause briefly, tilting my head to look at his now crooked nose.
“Scratch that. Your fucking family will burn in hell too,” I murmur, the curve of my lips holding back a smile.
I know his sister is pregnant and that she’s somehow trying to stay out of this twisted world, but unfortunately for her, her and her child’s lives would soon be over. Too bad. This is what you get when someone in your family is involved in this shit. Sooner or later it would come back to bite you.
It doesn’t take him long to break free from my guards’ grip, but his relief is short-lived, because shortly afterwards they throw a bucket of gasoline over him, while I light a cigarette and bring it to my lips before setting him on fire with the lighter.
I inhale the smell of burning flesh while listening to his screams and painful pleas.
Before the fire can continue to burn his skin, I push him into the pool with a broomstick that I then throw besides him.
The broomstick is now floating close to his half burnt, charred body.
I laugh along with the others when I see the look of relief on his face that disappears when he realizes he isn’t alone in the water.
Three crocodiles approach, looking quite hungry.
The room is soon filled with screams and flesh being torn and chewed by the large reptiles.
No one plans to stay any longer, so we walk through the door.
My boots don’t move fast enough to get to my room and get rid of the sweat and flesh-burning odor.
Then I change my clothes and head to her house.
The walk to her house feels like it takes forever.
When I reach the door I turn the handle and frown as I turn it all the way.
The door is already fucking open. I close the door, keeping that detail in my head for later, and lock it behind me.
My heart is pounding so hard with anticipation that I almost feel it explode when I see a head of red hair in the distance, but when I narrow my eyes at it I only find her brother.
“Where’s Lena?” I ask behind him. He turns around with a smile I find disturbing because of how much it resembles hers. Despite all these years, I still resist the idea that there is a male version of her walking around the world.
“Upstairs,” he replies in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Can you call her?” I say in the same tone. He then shouts her name.
“Fuck. Okay. I’m going,” he mutters under the murderous glare I’m giving him before climbing the stairs to the second floor.
Shortly after I hear footsteps from the staircase. My heart skips a beat when I have her in front of me, accelerating my heart rate to the point that a slight pain in my chest starts to grow.
I don’t realize when she throws herself into my arms until she puts her hands inside my tee, wrapping her arms tightly around my torso.
My skin shivers as I feel the warmth of her hands and I watch her lips move, saying something I can’t really hear.
My mind is completely disconnected from my surroundings, and the only thing I can focus on are those green eyes looking at me in confusion.
It isn’t the first time something like this happens to me, which is why I always avoid looking directly into the green void of her eyes.
“Alek.” My stomach lurches, bringing me back to reality. Everything sounds better coming from her lips. “Are you okay?
“Yes,” I murmur hoarsely, leaning my face toward hers. But just as our mouths are about to collide she pulls away, leaving me with a bitter feeling.
“Come on. We don’t have much time,” she whispers, pulling my arm somewhere.
I follow her to her bedroom. There, she locks the door and pushes me toward the bed, my back landing on the mattress. When she begins to undress, my gaze falls upon her half-naked body, leaving me completely spellbound, while she climbs on top of me with a captivating smile.
I put on my denim shorts and go to the door, knowing who it may be before even opening it.
“What?” I ask irritably when I see Jason’s mocking face.
“Ray is coming up the garage stairs.” I open my eyes wider than usual before closing the door on him, but he stops me by putting his foot in the way. “What about my tip?”
“What tip are you talking about?”
“I’m acting as your Cupid’s bodyguard. Don’t you think I deserve…” Before he can finish, I slam the door in his face, ignoring his complaints behind the door.
“We have to go downstairs quickly. My parents are already here,” I say, making the bed.
We both go downstairs quietly until we reach the main room.
“If my father finds us in this position, he’ll kill us,” I say.
“Then he would die happy,” he whispers in my ear, smiling slightly. A forced clearing of the throat makes us turn toward my father. I pull away from him when I see my his angry face.
“As long as Lena lives in this house, I don’t want any touching or kissing between you two. And I don’t care if it’s here or in Manhattan. I don’t want any excuses.”
“I’m sorry. He doesn’t take it well,” I murmur with a grimace and flushed cheeks once he’s gone.
“I understand. You’re his little girl,” he says, the corners of his lips lifting in a playful smile as he brings his fingers to my cheek.
“I’m not his little girl, I’m his daughter, and I’m already quite grown up,” I reply with a pout on my lips. He lets out a hoarse chuckle.
“Oh, hello. I didn’t know you were coming, Lena didn’t tell me anything.
” My mother enters the room wearing one of her elegant dresses.
He gets up from the sofa, not quite sure what to do.
“Don’t be shy! Give me a hug,” she says with open arms. He just walks away with an uncomfortable grimace that he tries to hide behind a forced smile.
“I have to make a phone call,” he mutters, then leaves for the nearest bathroom.
“He’s a bit elusive, isn’t he?” she asks with a frown, and I let out an annoyed snort before speaking.
“You’re embarrassing me.”
“I’m just trying to be nice. I want to get along with my son-in-law,” she says cheerfully.
“I’d appreciate it if you treated him like a normal person, not like someone trying to corrupt me or something like that.”
“Don’t blame me for your father’s attitude.
I’m a modern, young mother. I understand that you have boyfriends and an active sex life.
Although we haven’t talked about that yet,” she murmurs with a raised eyebrow.
My cheeks flush again, and I cover my face with one of the cushions.
“You can stay for dinner, you don’t have to leave so soon.
” I lift my face from the cushion so quickly that I almost twist my neck.
He gives me a quick glance, then turns back to my mother with another forced smile.
“It would be my pleasure,” he says. I almost squeal with happiness when I hear him say that.
Although I don’t think my father will let us be in the same room together; he’ll probably send him to dinner in the basement. When we are alone again, I approach him at a safe distance, but he manages to trap my body in his arms.
“I can’t stand being more than an inch away from you, and I don’t think your father would like that very much.” I’m not quick enough to stop his lips, but the kiss only lasts until arms pull me away from him by force.
“It’s rude to start eating before everyone else,” Jason murmurs amusedly, immune to my boyfriend’s angry eyes. “The table is already set.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask under my breath.
“Since you didn’t appreciate my guardian duties before, I’ve switched sides. Now I’m with Ray,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m willing to make amends for just a small reward plus interest and an apology,” he replies with a wink and an outstretched hand.
“Fuck off,” I reply. His smile widens, but I don't wait for his comeback, disappearing through the dining room door and leaving him behind.
“You here. With me,” my father says with a smile from ear to ear when he sees my intention to sit next to Alek. He is almost at the end of the table next to my mother.